Over 10,000 people sign up for online course to study Peter Higgs' 'God particle'

Thousands have signed up for an online course to study the work of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs on 'Higgs boson'.

SummaryThe course is being run by University of Edinburgh, where Professor Higgs worked.

More than 10,000 people have signed up for an online course to study the work of Nobel Prize-winning physicist Peter Higgs which led to the discovery of the 'God particle'.

The free seven-week course, titled 'The Discovery of the Higgs boson', is being run by the University of Edinburgh in UK, where Professor Higgs worked when he developed the 'God particle' theory.

He proposed that particles acquire mass by interacting with an all-pervading field spread throughout the Universe. A 'boson' particle was needed to carry and transmit the effect of the field, 'The Times' reported.

The course, which begins this week, has already attracted more than 10,000 learners to register, the university said in a statement.

The course explores the scientific advancements that have led to the building of the Large Hadron Collider, in Switzerland, and to the detection of the Higgs boson particle in July 2012.

The course features interviews with Professor Higgs and filmed lectures.

"Professor Higgs' research has provided us with profound insight into the building blocks of the Universe and this course will allow anyone with a computer and access to the web to take part in the exciting and revolutionary times that we live in," said Professor Arthur Trew, Head of School of Physics and Astronomy.